Canada forward Jon Tavares is helped up by a trainer during the men's ice hockey quarterfinals against Latvia. / Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports

SOCHI, Russia - New York Islanders star center John Tavares' season is over after he suffered a knee injury during the Olympic quarterfinals.

The team said he has a torn medial collateral ligament and meniscus in his left knee after he was checked by Latvia's Arturs Kulda during Canada's 2-1 victory on Wednesday night. He left the ice on his own power but didn't return to the game.

He will remain with Team Canada for the remainder of the Olympics and then return home on the NHL charter.

"That's tough," Canadian forward Jeff Carter said of the injury. "He was a big part of our team. He was a great guy in the room, and it's tough to see."

Tavares was a fourth-liner for the star-studded Team Canada, but is critical to the Islanders. He is the NHL's third-leading scorer with 66 points in 59 games and has had a hand in 40% of his team's goals.

The Islanders had an uphill battle to make the playoffs, even if Tavares were healthy. They are 12 points out of a playoff spot with 22 games left in the season.

The injury could provide ammunition to owners who oppose shutting down the season to send players to the Olympics. Fear of injuries is one of the concerns by anti-Olympics owners, and there have been more than a handful of those during the Games.